5 TO GO

The Tour of Flanders is approaching. I think it is not necessary to say that my expectations have increased after the good feeling that I had during the last races but I also start to feel some pressure. Anyway, it is a positive kind of pressure, it motivates me and helps me to focus on this important race. Furthermore it is showing that I will be among the first if everything goes the right way. Yesterday I awoke less tired than expected. I felt a lot better than on Sunday and I went for a ride. I rode easily some hours through the hills enjoying the spring. During the next days I will work on the refinement of my shape. The basis I have already established during the last months as it is impossible to prepare the Tour of Flanders in one week.

WEEKEND'S RACE REPORT

During the last weekend I took part in two races: on Saturday in the E3 Prijs in Harelbeke and on Sunday in Gent-Wevelgem.

Finishing the E3 Prijs at the ninth place I proved that I am able to keep up with the best also at important races. Cancellara, Boonen and Flecha were in the lead chased by myself, Leukemans, three Rabobank riders and Pozzato. The rest of the peleton was more than two minutes behind. During the final I lead out the sprint for Leukemans because I was quite tired. The race was really exhausting and even if I went to bed right after dinner, I still could feel the great efforts that I had made the next day. Gent-Wevelgem wasn`t a perfect race for me: I was tired and the frequency variation took its toll. At the end I have to be satisfied with my 18^th pace. It was difficult to do better because only a few riders took part in both races that weekend. These two tough days can be considered as a good training particularly with regard to the long distance of the Tour of Flanders.

CLASSICS IS COMING

Today it is a raining day here in Padova and therefore I haven`t been riding my bike so far. I hope the weather is going to be better in the afternoon. In the meanwhile, I take the opportunity to announce you my race schedule for the upcoming two weeks: the Belgian classics will start for me on Wednesday. The first station will be Waregem and then, the weekend after, I will take part in the E3 Prijs in Harelbeke and in Gent-Wevelgem. Subsequently, I will return home to refine my shape with a view to the Tour of Flanders that will be organized on Eastersunday. These upcoming 14 days are really important to draw a balance of the first part of the season.
In any case I am optimistic as I have been working hard during the last week: On Wednesday Alberto Ongarato and I rode through the Euganean Hills and the Berici Hills for more than 3,5 hours not accelerating but passing several climbs. On Thursday however I pushed: I chose a route that simulated in parts the Belgian walls. On Friday I made a long trip while on Saturday I worked on the strength and the frequency variation. I am satisfied with my shape and I feel that it is close to the ideal one :)

AT HOME

Sunday I landed in Venice and now I am at home for a couple of days. This morning I woke up to the sun and a spring-like temperature, which is nice after the cold and the snowy weather that we had in France. During eight days we rode about 1300km, always with a continuous fast rhythm. Today I can feel the physical exertion; I am tired but I am sure that all my work will pay off. In my last posts I have already told you a lot about Paris-Nice from the agonistic point of view, so here just a small summary: I am glad that I was protagonist at the stages that suited me and, of course, I am also satisfied that I had a good feeling riding my bike. The luck was on my side as, despite of the cold and the numerous falls, I remained fit.
During the next days I will train here at home and then I will leave for Belgium in order to take part in the E3 Prijs Harelbeke, Gent – Wevelgem and last but not least in the Tour of Flanders.

QUICK UPDATE

On Friday I had been really tired because of the long breakaway during the fourth stage. My legs had felt heavy due to the kilometers I had been riding in the wind the day before. Therefore I had taken it easy and I had crossed the finish line together with the sprinters.

Saturday, however, I tried once more to get in the breakaway but it was impossible. I worked very hard during the first 50km but the others were too strong so that I couldn`t manage to break away. These last two stages were tough due to the elevation profile but mainly because of the rhythm imposed by the general classification riders.

I still have difficulties in climbing but I had been aware of it before leaving for France because the tests at my well-known climbs at home had revealed that I am not yet in the perfect shape. Everything is under control and each climb that I am doing now helps me for sure to improve my skills.

Now I'm come back and I will stay at home for ten days.

150 KM BREAKAWAY

Thursday was also an eventful day for me. At kilometer 10 I had already been in a breakaway together with Timmer and later we were joined by five other riders. It was clear that the teams of the general classification riders wouldn`t have let us go too far away. I hoped they would overtake us at the last climb but they already caught up at the penultimate climb because my breakaway mates didn`t collaborate very well. Of course, after being caught by the peloton I fall back and I reached the finish with a delay of several minutes. That long breakaway confirmed me that my shape is getting better day by day. I still have to improve my climbing skills but the feeling begins to be good. It will be important to leave this stage race with a rising shape and to keep it for the upcoming classics.
Unfortunately the cold and the foul weather are going on. Let` s hope that it will change for the better when going to the south.

TENTH PLACE

This morning I awoke to find the ground covered in a layer of snow. This didn`t signalize an ideal day to ride the bike. Fortunately the race organizer decided to shift the start by 50km along the stage route. Therefore we missed the two first climbs of the stage. The sun came out along the day and the streets became rideable again. The final climb of today`s stage had been scheduled four kilometers before the finish and as I had imagined there was a scrap for the first positions. I managed to place myself rather in front but not among the first. After Martin`s attack we crossed the summit lined up but then a gap opened up and I was cut. Consequently, I had to settle for competing in the sprint of the peloton. I gained once more a tenth place. Perhaps I should have tried to answer the attack if I had been better placed but being 12th I really was behind the first. It was just about a moment: behind we were looking at each other waiting for someone to close the gap while the riders in front collaborated well and departed.

From tomorrow on the race will be more difficult and therefore the climbers and general classification riders will show up.

WORKING FOR THE MASS SPRINT

Today I had the classic role of a team helper. I rode at the head of the peleton and I gave my everything. Four kilometers from the finish I stretched the group to take no risks and to abet the sprint of Bozic. I was able to lead the group during a whole kilometer which isn`t easy because of the incredible high speed in the proximity of the finish. At the end Bonnet won the stage and Bozic had to settle for the ninth place. I especially like tomorrow`s stage. I am convinced that I will be again protagonist, if I have good legs like during the last two days.

EIGHTH PLACE

Today was the first stage of Paris-Nice from Saint-Arnoult-en-Yvelines to Contres (203.5km). I finished in the eighths place. The stages elevation profile didn`t show any difficulties but the wind made it grueling. Due to the wind the peleton had formed echelons that also caused several falls. Once again I had been in the right breakaway together with fourteen other riders. Unfortunately I made the wrong choices during the final sprint. I was too far behind and therefore I was locked. In order to avoid a fall I had to decelerate and satisfy me with a placement. I am quite embittered because it really could have been the chance to gain a victory. In any case today I proved that I am in shape and there are still many stages left for me to attack but at the moment the anger is dominating my thoughts because of the missed occasion.

PARIS

Now I'm in Paris to ride the Paris-Nice from tomorrow to next sunday. Here you can see my wednesday race (gp Le Samyn), I finished at se sixth in the mass sprint.

WELL DONE

I have been at home since Saturday evening and Sunday I allowed myself a rest day after an exhausting week. Omloop Het Nieuwsblad went well. One the one hand because the weather was wonderful and this is already sufficient to be optimistic, on the other hand because I crossed the finish line in the first group that arrived behind Flecha. He did a fantastic performance and was the strongest rider; both facts were underlined by his victory. I was always in the lead of the race even though the situation changed several times in between the walls and cobblestone sections: groups were formed; the peleton was split up into small parts etc. But in any case I was ahead during the important situations of the race. During the final Bozic managed to re-enter the group behind Flecha, so I started to work for him in order to gain the second place but it didn`t work out. The signs have been positive as arriving among the first riders in such a race shows that the work that I had done during the winter pays off. I am not yet at 100% of my shape, but when I will be in top shape I hope I can have some fun during the classics.